This is a very nicely made chef’s knife from Hong Kong. Nowadays, most knives of this type are made in China due to the high cost of production in Hong Kong: there are only two places still making traditional kitchen knives here that I know of. Anthony Bourdain made one of them famous when he visited Hong Kong a few years ago. This knife is from a much smaller local business that makes knives just as nice as Chan Chi Kee’s, but with some minor differences. If you are a fan of the best genuine Hong Kong choppers, here’s one you simply will not find anywhere but in Hong Kong.

This chopper was forged and ground near the once infamous Kowloon Walled City. Where this sprawling slum once existed, you can now find a beautiful park. The area around it is now full of some of the best Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants in town, and European gourmet stores specializing in pastries and pate and even the odd French bakery are sprouting up. Through it all, however, this small firm in the heart of Kowloon City has been producing top notch kitchen knives (and nothing else) for some of the city’s top chefs.

The blade on this chopper is excellent quality carbon steel. The forge scale has been left on the top of the blade, as is traditional. The blade is 8 5/32” long, or 20.72 cm. It is 3 5/8” wide at its center (9.2 cm). This means it falls between size #2 and #3 on Chan Chi Kee’s slicer chart. It is 1/8” thick at the base of the spine with a perfect distal taper. This allows the tip to be used for more precision slicing: the rear of these choppers is usually used for anchoring the blade in wood chopping blocks. I have grown up watching chefs all over Hong Kong use these choppers in this manner.

The handle is only 3 7/16” long and appears to be oak. The reason for the short handle is that Chinese slicers like this one are held with three fingers on the handle and the blade is held between the index and thumb finger. Sometimes the middle finger is also extended along the side of the blade. Apparently this works very well indeed, as some American chefs who swear by Hong Kong choppers have said they can work all day in this grip without fatigue.

The blade is very slightly convex ground and is hand honed to a very keen edge: it could be stropped to an absolute razor edge with very little work. Many chefs in the US swear Hong Kong choppers rival the best American and Japanese knives for pure cutting performance.

The bolster is stainless steel: the rings in the handle aid in positive grip, even when the handle is wet or greasy. This is a tool through and through, but even chefs in China hold Hong Kong-made choppers in the highest regard.

The balance point is 3” in front of the bolster, meaning this is a nicely balanced slicer for general kitchen use. This style of knife is not intended for chopping bone, which will cause the edge to roll. Chinese kitchen knives are softer than American or Japanese knives to increase their durability. They are sharpened on carbide stones regularly to keep the edges as keen as possible. Even with frequent sharpening, this knife is capable of lasting a lifetime.

I took this picture before I knew the correct manner for holding one of these choppers, even though I have seen them used all over Hong Kong hundreds of times. I will definitely be paying more attention in future!

The tang is peened over at the end of the handle. The handle is also filled with glue to protect the tang and for increased security.

This is an excellent kitchen tool for both home chefs and those who take their kitchen hardware seriously. These are definitely not something you will find anywhere else. 12.9 oz. $75 including shipping to your door.